GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast

Ball don’t lie! This week we’re dropping into the chasm filled with Arkanoid-inspired enemies in BALL x PIT! The fabled city of Ballbylon has fallen and evil monsters have dragged the metropolis into, you guessed it, a pit! Your quest is to rebuild the city by taking a ramshackle elevator down into the depths, huck balls at the rampaging hordes, and escape with resources you can use to restore the town brick by brick. Sure none of the residents have eyes in their sockets, are largely magical warlock outcasts and fallen kings, and in some cases look like haunted versions of an American Gothic painting, but we will rebuild! And upgrade our infrastructure via as many ping-pong mechanics as possible!

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1:58 - Game stats

3:35 - One sentence description

4:07 - The Fall of Ball-bylon in 46 Seconds

8:46 - Visual Style: Scrolling Enemies, Mobile Game Look & Art

13:49 - Ball System: Build Strategy Synergy

29:06 - Early Game & Metaprogression Treadmill

35:18 - Town Building: RTS Grid Base Builder & Worker Trajectory

43:21 - Character Variety: Turn-Based Mode, Twitch Voting & Unique Gimmicks

52:32 - Narrative Theme: Descending the Pit & Level Progression Arc

55:04 - Town Building x Ball Combat x Sound Design

1:11:22 - How’s it Compare with Vampire Survivors?

1:22:30 - Rankings & final thoughts

1:30:00 - Similar games & show wind down

Next episode: Episode 100 part 1 - Rogue and Its Predecessors

Contact us at [email protected]!

https://grogpod.zone

Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 2 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/

Outro music: Liminal x Desert - Amos Roddy

Moon and Sun! Caves of Qud returns for our summer music episode, as I grabbed some time with the composer Craig Hamilton! Since Qud is a dramaturgical triad, we couldn’t NOT do a third episode talking with the creative mind behind the creative sounds of the game. We’re talking Digital Audio Workstations, sci-fi literature, flamethrowers, traditional roguelikes, and so much more! The torsion of an external crank drags a rosin-slathered wheel against a metal cable, whose protestations emerge from the wooden case in a low, melodic groan.

Part 1 of our Qud Qoverage focusing on the story and soundtrack can be found here

Part 2 focusing on the gameplay and mechanics of Qud can be found here

Other topics discussed:

https://www.craigoryhamilton.com/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1247760/Caves_of_Qud_Soundtrack/

https://stumpyfrog.com/sfr24a-caves-of-qud-3lp/

https://eggplant.show/into-the-depths-caves-of-qud-finale

http://www.decklinsdemise.com/mordor.htm

https://store.steampowered.com/app/224500/Gnomoria/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultima_Ratio_Regum_(video_game)

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00:00 - Intro Premable

2:17 - Interview Start!

3:14 - Craig’s Musical Origins: Uncle’s Yamaha Keyboard & Early Life

6:22 - Mixtapes, High School Bands & College Hardcore Synth Work

10:10 - Childhood Dream: Astronaut, Video Game Maker or Musician

11:50 - Childhood Gaming: Diablo 1, XCOM & Cinematic Music Influences

17:38 - Film Score Influences: Arrival, Blade Runner & Disney Jungle Book

19:00 - How Craig Got Hired: Dropsy Tracks & Caves of Qud Audition

24:24 - Composition Process: Flavour Text Prompts & Dev Collaboration

26:43 - “Onward”: Multiple Versions, Melancholy Quality & New Keyboard

33:53 - Diegetic Sound Design: Golgotha Flamethrower & Theme Park Composition

38:45 - Craig’s Favorite Track: “Arrival” & Interstellar Inspiration

44:46 - “Bey Lah Heritage II”: Western Aesthetic, Harmonicas & Hindren Influence

47:36 - “Attack on Grit Gate”: Desperate Blown-Out Battle Sound Design

52:34 - Favorite Game Soundtracks: FF7, Nuclear Throne, Katamari Damacy

1:05:31 - Craig’s 40 Hours of Qud: Exploration Style & Mutant Builds

1:10:47 - The Caves Music: Danger, Oppression & Caving YouTube Inspiration

1:15:14 - Cozy Art Lulling Players Into a False Sense of Security

1:18:36 - Gnome Moria, Ultima Ratio Regum & Procedural Generation Discussion

1:25:21 - Show Wind Down

Next episode: BALL x PIT

Contact us at [email protected]!

https://grogpod.zone

Intro music: Caves of Qud OST - 3rd Spore Phase

Outro music: Caves of Qud OST - Of Chrome, and How (Sultan’s Song)

“You don’t have the cards!” This week we deep dive the cyberpunk productivity app roguelike deckbuilder hybrid that our very own co-host Will has been developing since 2018! A unique spin on gamification apps, Hard Reset asks the ever-important question of: “what if we made the game part actually fun?” The capitalist oligarchs have taken over and you must stop them by upgrading your cybernetics as provided by a mysterious benefactor. Fight through mutant-filled cyber slums with the help of rocket arms, irradiation blasters, and a helpful hand or two. But don’t skimp on those tasks to practice your cello or take out the garbage! Being consistent rewards gameplay with bonuses, and missing days will add consequences to your deck.

Find Will’s app at:

https://hardreset.app/

https://discord.com/invite/VdqP5AWBnz

https://bsky.app/profile/hardresetapp.bsky.social

https://www.youtube.com/@HardResetApp

Hard Reset has already been getting some coverage by other outlets that you can find below:

ParadoxPort - Hard Reset: When To-Do Lists Meet a Dystopian Cyberpunk Game

Sam Liberty - Hard Reset Is the Gamified Productivity App I’ve Been Waiting For

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1:13 - Game stats

2:28 - One sentence description

5:09 - Origin Story: Behavioral Therapy Work & Contingency Management

9:18 - Hard Reset’s Purpose vs. Previous Therapy App

12:07 - Habitica Comparison & Fun-as-Reward Design Philosophy

15:25 - Vesper-5 & Checklist-Game Symbiosis Discussion

23:52 - Boot Sequence, Node Map & Game Structure Walkthrough

24:34 - Hardware & Wetware System vs. Slay the Spire Relics

35:10 - Card Codex Stats: 71 Cards, 15 Hacks & Unique Mechanics

43:41 - Combat Animations, Eye-Opening Intro & Protagonist Identity

46:01 - Portrait Mode Innovation & One-Handed Mobile Design

59:50 - AI Art Ethics: Solo Dev Cost Reality & Moral Debate

1:09:43 - Story & Theme: Cyberpunk Anti-Oligarch Revolution Narrative

1:33:43 - Player Build Strategies & Community Discoveries

1:53:00 - Rankings & final thoughts

2:01:13 - Fan Write-Ins

2:05:10 - Similar games & show wind down

Next episode: Summer music fest interview with Caves of Qud composer Craig Hamilton!

Contact us at [email protected]!

https://grogpod.zone

Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 2 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/

Outro music: Hard Reset trailer theme

It’s a special bonus episode this week! With Rift Wizard 3 launching in June 2026, I sat down with developer Dylan White to talk about the third game’s evolution, how its distinguished itself from Rift Wizard 2, and what it takes to make a traditional roguelike game stand out in the ever evolving morass of games being released on Steam these days. Come for the discussion on PyGame, stay for the discussion on metal music band names as monsters!

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1:51 - Interview Start

2:49 - Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup as Primary Design Inspiration

6:15 - Original Concept: Not a Wizard Game at First

9:06 - Core Design Goal: Every Encounter High-Pressure & Unique

13:11 - Rift Wizard 2: Items System Added to Fight Forced Builds

16:46 - Dominions 5 Influence & Knowing Your Game’s Identity

20:35 - Why Python/Pygame: Fast Prototyping & Fun to Code

22:38 - ASCII Prototype Origins & Discarded Pac-Man Mana Mechanic

32:22 - AI Coding Agents: Core Logic Hand-Coded, UI Outsourced

41:52 - Crafting System Design: Balancing Planning vs. Improvisation

47:31 - Rift Wizard 3 Art Direction: Ralph Bakshi & 70s Animation

56:36 - Grid Size Changes Across Versions & Rebalancing Challenges

1:02:14 - Sequel Philosophy: 75% Familiarity, 25% Novelty

1:07:17 - Switch & Steam Deck Portability: Mouse-Keyboard Dependency Problem

1:22:50 - Dylan’s Favorite Roguelikes & Final Thoughts on Genre

Contact us at [email protected]!

https://grogpod.zone

Intro music: Rift Wizard 3 Title Theme

Outro music: Rift Wizard 3 Boss Theme

He’s a bad bad kitty! We’re snapping our fingers and fighting through the alleways this week with Mewgenics! The long-awaited game by Binding of Isaac creator and roguelite genre legend Edmund McMillen, fans have been wating something like 15 years to experience the cat breeding tactical combat RPG. You are a crazy cat lady, reanimated from the dead by a mad scientist and your goal is to breed cats to send on harrowing adventures through junkyards, spider caves, the moon, and beyond the reaches of the spacetime continuum. All the while maintaining your most impressive collection of freaks (cats) as they create offspring, poop in your house, and defend you from headless horrors rampaging the neighborhood.

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0:57 - Listener Request Week & Game stats

3:55 - One sentence description

4:30 - Mewgenics dev history

6:28 - Welcome Roguepod Litecast listeners!

10:25 - Art Style & Edmund McMillan Tone

16:51 - NPC Designs

29:02 - Cat Generation, House Overview

31:03 - Typical Run Breakdown: Node Map, Acts & Biomes

33:43 - Boss Music with Lyrics & Soundtrack Discussion

49:57 - Combat Mechanics, Character Classes & Unlocks

57:58 - Cat Breeding Meta Progression System Deep Dive

1:07:16 - Genealogy System

1:21:14 - Guillotina House Defense Battle

1:26:35 - Difficulty Modes, Run Length & Off-Ramp Mechanics

1:39:07 - Rankings & final thoughts

1:50:00 - Similar games & show wind down

1:52:19 - Episode 100 details!

1:53:40 - Next episode - Will’s app/game - https://hardreset.app

2:04:10 - Gigi, Ari, Rakanishu, and Molly (see the youtube episode for videos!)

Next episode: Hard Reset (2026)

Contact us at [email protected]!

https://grogpod.zone

Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 1 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/

Outro music: Rediculon - Chumbucket Kitty

Emperor guide thy aim! Roguelikes and -lites span a spectrum, especially when they come as added game modes to big budget titles that aren’t roguey themselves. This week we explore Warhammer 40K Darktide: the action RPG featuring two … sort of … rogue-ish (heavy squinting) game modes: Expeditions and the Mortis Trials. From the moment I understood the weakness of game genre definitions, they disgusted me. I craved the strength and certainty of roguelikes. I aspired to the purity of the blessed permadeath. Your kind cling to your save files, as if they will not decay and fail you. One day the crude biomass that you call a gameplay loop will wither, and you will beg my kind to save you. But I am already saved, for roguelikes are immortal. Even in death I serve the GROGnissiah.

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2:35 - Game stats

4:08 - One sentence description, Non-Roguelike Games with Rogue Modes Discussion

7:05 - Lore Overview

17:33 - StarCraft & Warhammer

21:56 - Intro Cinematic & Satire

26:17 - Character Creation, Classes & Hub World Tour

38:32 - Adventure Mode, Main Story & Mission Structure

44:47 - Procedural Generation (Or Lack Thereof) & Roguelike Credentials

51:43 - Expeditions Mode: Node Map, Scrap System & Extraction

56:08 - Mortis Trials: Horde Mode, Wave Perks & Chaos Builds

1:13:20 - Soundtrack & Sound Design

1:17:48 - Servitor Healing Stations & Imperium’s Dark Worldbuilding

1:22:10 - Rankings & final thoughts

1:33:08 - Similar games & show wind down

Next episode: Mewgenics

Contact us at [email protected]!

https://grogpod.zone

Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 1 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/

Outro music: Jesper Kyd - Disposal Unit (Imperium Mix)

Play forever! It’s time to climb one of the most ambitious game releases in recent memory by dusting off UFO 50: the collection of games from the fictional LX Systems console of the 1980s. With some titles being very small, and others being very huge, we focus on just 7 that are the most rogue-ish: Bug Hunter, Velgress, Planet Zoldath, Waldorf’s Journey, Party House, Overbold, and Campanella 2! Will we be able to squash the eggs before they hatch? How many times will our hot pink spacecraft be graffito-tagged while hunting for precious treasure? We’ll share stories on our own Wild Buddy experiences as we search for our imprisoned little brother as well. They’re coming for your TEEETH!

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1:56 - Game stats

6:17 - One sentence description

8:56 - Who is UFO 50’s target audience?

23:15 - UFO 50 intro sequence

26:45 - Variety of the 50 games in general

33:26 - Bug Hunter

46:57 - Velgress

1:03:30 - Planet Zoldath

1:16:43 - Waldorf’s Journey

1:30:10 - Party House

1:50:18 - Overbold

2:03:44 - Campanella 2

2:28:38 - UFO 50 general discussion

2:41:10 - Rankings & final thoughts

2:56:35 - Similar podcast: Eggplant Presents a Year of UFO 50

2:58:21 - Similar games & show wind down

Next episode: Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

Contact us at [email protected]!

https://grogpod.zone

Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 1 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/

Outro music: Eirik Surhke - Big Party / Infinity

(Hacker voice) I’m in. We’re pentesting the mainfraime this week with 868-HACK! A small-scope puzzle-y rogue-y game by one Michael Brough: multi award-nominated IGF game designer of other similarly overlooked titles like Imbroglio, Cinco Paus, and Zaga-33. Michael’s games were originally designed for iOS mobile devices back in the hallowed days of the early 2010s, in that bubbling time when roguelites were just getting their foothold. Listen in as we isolate the nodes, jack the creds, warp some viruses and dump them on the other side of the router. Think you got what it takes to hack the big leagues, kid, or are you one siphon short of getting point-attacked in the NCIS firewall?

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1:08 - Game stats

6:51 - One sentence description

8:28 - Platform Origins: iOS First, PC Port, No Android

12:21 - Hacking Aesthetic, Art Style & Tutorial Walkthrough

17:24 - Points as Primary Goal Debate

22:27 - Run Scoring Systems

26:24 - Difficulty Escalation

33:23 - Gameplay debates

39:09 - Progs & Ability Combos

45:04 - Sound Design & Aesthetic

47:40 - 868-BACK Sequel

52:50 - Movie Hacking

1:00:34 - Plan B DLC Mechanics & Harder Starting Conditions

1:04:08 - Awards, Critical Acclaim & Eric Dolphy Jazz Analogy

1:10:30 - Rankings & final thoughts

1:24:06 - Similar games & show wind-down

Next episode: UFO 50

Contact us at [email protected]!

https://grogpod.zone

Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 1 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/

Outro music: 868-HACK background music and 868-BACK background music

It’s not a bug, its a feature! This week we crack open the most meme-filled game of 2025 with Megabonk: the first game by (very likely) youtuber game developer Danidev in over 4 years. Is your Megachad’s aura farming going to crash out or is your drip fire enough to hit different? Just how long can a skateboarding skeleton with sunglasses last against Anubruh or … sigh … Scorpionussy? We can always return to Monke, fellow kids! 😱↪️⭕

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1:23 - Game stats

4:38 - One sentence description

5:21 - How do you do, fellow memers?

13:34 - Danidev deep dive

17:01 - Initial Impressions: Vampire Survivors Meets Risk of Rain 2

19:28 - Shrines Mechanic

23:28 - Weapon Upgrade System

26:13 - Characters

36:39 - Items & Weapons

40:54 - Skeleton Skateboarding

51:13 - Maps, Stage Tiers & Boss Variety Complaints

1:14:00 - Rankings & final thoughts

1:27:20 - Similar games & show wind-down

Next episode: 868-HACK

Contact us at [email protected]!

https://grogpod.zone

Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 1 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/

Outro music: Miguelangell960 - She Mega On My Bonk (All Night Long)

Rise… champion… again! The Spire returns to be slain once more, in the biggest roguelike launch of all time! Our top rated game of the podcast now has a sequel, but how will its early access evaluation period hold up? How sly will our ratings of the new characters be? Will we DEMAND to visit a more exciting planet? Will our souls be eternally bound to a tooth-filled grimoire? What about Osty? Is he safe? Is he alright? Who is this mysterious Architect who sits atop the new Spire with a bunch of deflated hearts and bronze automotons?? Finally it arrives!

We also finally welcome a new theme for the podcast after 4 years! Developed as part of a suite of multiple recordings, it’s a tune that will evolve over time, so keep an ear out and don’t immediately skip that first 30 seconds of random jazz music I’ve been posting previously! You can find more about Louis’ work on his website here

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1:02 - New intro theme by Balatro composer LouisF!

2:41 - Game stats

4:40 - One sentence description

5:37 - Early Access Disclaimer & Future Revisit Discussion

7:50 - Comparing Sequels

10:42 - Major New Features

12:23 - Art, Animation & Dynamic Music Integration

14:06 - New NPCs, Story Beats & Lore Progression

21:04 - Unlock Systems & Achievement Design Discussion

30:25 - Infinite Builds, Balance Patches & Review Bombs

32:45 - 4-Player Co-op Mechanics & Board Game Origins

45:30 - The Regent & Necrobinder

1:09:02 - Card Enchantment System

1:19:01 - Art & Animation Improvements

1:29:30 - Rankings & final thoughts

1:44:49 - Similar games & show wind-down

Next episode: Megabonk

Contact us at [email protected]!

https://grogpod.zone

Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 1 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/

Outro music: Clark Aboud - Ceremonial Beast